Every March comes another wave of good theatre in town, and if you want to see yourself on stage there, this is the time for you to get to work. The Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Festival & Awards (META), which will be held in the first week that month, is calling for entries for both
original and adapted plays, and the buzz has already spread among young ­hopefuls.

Last year, the awards ­witnessed some ­achievers such as Ebrahim Alkazi (Lifetime Achievement), Dingri Naresh (Best Actor) and Valeria Olguin Espinoza (Best Actress). “Year after year, it amazes me to see the commitment of the theatre community across India to its basic passion — doing ­theatre. It’s being done with gusto, honesty and integrity across this country as a form of self-expression, whether sad or happy”, beams Rajiv Dubey, creative director, META.

The repertoire of plays that were staged during last year’s edition included Fevicol, Kizhavanum Kadalum, Gasha, After the Silence, Mirugavidushagam and Shillak, to name a few ­distinguished ones.

While the prize money runs into lakhs, it is the ­performances that are the highlight this year, too. Entries include theatre ­productions, puppetry, ­multimedia and dance, and can be sent in through the festival’s website.

Other interesting theatre fests in Delhi to look out for, include the Atelier Theatre Festival, Rang, the Ishara International Puppet Festival and the ongoing Bharat Rang Mahotsav (BRM). “The ­theatre scene in the city looks like it’s getting better. With 1.5 lakh tickets sold out on the first day of bookings for BRM, I hope there’s much more good ­theatre to see in the coming months too,” says Shreya Vij, 22, a theatre enthusiast.